Electrical transmission of motion pictures and the like



Dec, 2 1929.

w. MALM 1,740,930

ELECTRICAL TRANSMISSION. OF MOTION PICTURES AND THE LIKE Filed June 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet l Y a: 1 mESESTESE'SacaI naurncfr it: and cant:

IN V EN TOR.

ATTORNEYS;

Dec. 24, 1929. W.'MALM 1,740,930

ELECTRICALTRANSMISSION OF-MOTION PICTURES AND THE LIKE Filed June 192'? 2 SheetsSheet 2 INVENTOR- ATTORNEYS.

Patented Dec. 24, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT! OFFICE WILLIAM IILALM, OF NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA Application filed June 8, 1927. Serial No. 197,431.

This invention relates to devices for sending and receiving images of motion pictures and movements of living objects by means of radio transmission or direct wire transmission, and particularly to methods of recording images at a distance in such minuteness of detail so as to be almost an exact like ness of original images.

In devices of this sort, as is well known,

the fine grain of the object was lost during the course of transmission owing to the fact that mechanisms heretofore constructed could not be made to explore the transmitted object or picture at such speed and nicety as is'required to produce a true fineness of grain of objects orpictures, particularly of motion pictures which require a complete exploration of picture surface Within a period of less than onessixteenth of a second.

The object of my invention is to provide, simple, practical means for causing a motion picture film to pass between a light source and a photo-electric cell, and also means for causing only the light passing thru minute parts of the picture to strike the photo-electric cell at a time, said means to provide for the exposure of these minute portions of the film at such speed andcnicety so as to expose entire surface of'picture in less than onesixteenth of a second.

A further object of my invention is to provide a suitable mechanism for exploring entire-surface of picture or object in minute parts in less than one-sixteenth of a second in -repeated successions.

A further objectof my invention is to provide means for recording pictures of living objects and reproducing them at a distanceby means of suitable devices working in synchronism with the devices that record pictures of the images.

Other and ancillary objects of my invention will appear hereinafter. In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation view of the film carriage of a motion picture machine, showing arrangement of image exploring cylinder and driv ing means thereof. Figure 2 is a side elevation view of Figure 1, eliminating motor driving means and radio transmitter connections.

Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing arrangement for receiving and screening pictures by means of radio impulses. Figure 4 is a side elevation similar to Figure 2, showing how the deviceean be used to record and transmit movements of living objects. Figure 5 is a partial diagram of the electrical arrangement necessary when this invention is applied to a wired system.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1; 1 is an intermittent sprocket wheel driven by shaft 2 and driving film 3 across aperture 4 in plate 5, in the usual manner as is done in a' motion picture projection machine. Revolving shutter 6 passes in front of aperture 4, as indicated by dotted line 7, cutting off light 8 from film 3 while said film 3 is in motion. 9 is a cylinder having a plurality of holes 10, supported by hearing 11 (shown in section) and loosely mounted on square portion 12 of motor shaft 13 and driven by motor 14. WVorm 15 is fixed on shaft 13 and drives gear 16. Disc 17 is fixed on gear 16 by means of shaft 18. Lever 19 is loosely attached to pin 20 on disc 17 and pin 21 on collar 22 which sets loosely in a recess in bearing 11. 23 is a photo-electric cell with electrodes eliminated for simplicity, electrically coupled with input terminals 24 and 25 of standard radio transmitter 26. 27 and 28 are the aerial and ground terminals, respectively, of said radio transmitter 26. 33 is a speed indicator driven by gear 34, and gear 35 fixed on shaft 13.

Figure 2; showing light source 29 and condensing lenses 30, and also photo-electric cell electrodes 31 and 32.

Figure 3; 36 is a standard radio receiver having aerial and ground terminals 37 and 38, respectively, and output terminals 39 and 40, said output terminals 39 and 40 being connected to electrodes 41 and 42 of as filled globe 43. 44 is a sectional view 0 a semitransparent dual walled, evacuated screen having a ground glass surface on front wall 45, and a plurality of wire filaments 46 thrust thru rear wall 47 said filaments 46 connected to lead wires 48 and common return wire 49.

50 is an electric motor loosely fitted in supings. holes 10 which has been greatly exaggerated for simplicity in drawing; so have screen 44 grip projection 52 for revolving said motor in frame 51. Motor 50 rotates drum 53 by means of shaft 54. 55 is an electric conductive material laid in insulating drum 53 and connected to a lead wire 56 by means of contact sleeve 57 and motor shaft 54. Fingers 58 press lightly against drum 53 and make electrical contact between lead wires 48 and lead wire 56'as electric conductive material 55 comes in contact with said fingers 58. Photo-electric cell 59 makes contact'between lead wire 56 and lead wire 60, as light from globe 43 acts on electrodes 61 and 62in photoelectric cell 59.

by gear 64 and gear 65 fixed on shaft 54.

Figure 4; device can be made to record and transmit the movements of a living object 66 by removing film 3 from the machine and allowing reflected light beams 67 from light source 68 to pass thru lens 69 and focus picture of object 66 on ground glass 70 fitted in aperture 4.

Figure 5; method of motion picture trans mission as applied to a. wired system, thereby eliminating the necessity of radio transmitter 26, radio receiver 36, globe 43, and photo-' electric cell 59.

While my invention has been illustrated in what is considered its best application, it may have other embodiments without departing from its spirit. It is not, therefore, imited to the structures shown in the draw- This, refers particularly to size of and fingers 58 been greatly exaggerated.

The operation of the device will be obvious from the above description. The relation between film 3 and shutter 6 is such that the blades of shutter 6 cut off light source from film 3 at such intervals as required for film 3 to move its successive pictures across aperture 4. Cylinder 9 is driven by motor 14 at such rate of speed so as to cause holes 10 to pass vertically across picture, in such success1on as to cause each successive hole to pass across plcture 1n llnes of path parallel and closely adjacent to line of path traversed by ground 38, and in turn react on globe 43 filled with a suitable gas which becomes luminous when reacted upon by impulses from said receiver 36. Illumination from gas Current is supplied thru leads 49 and 60. 63 is a speed indicator driven filled globe 43 reacts on photo-electric cell 59 making modulated contact between lead wire 56 and lead wire 60, which causes filaments'46 to become lighted as each finger 58 comes in contact With conductive material 55 revolving on drum 53. The relation between filaments 46 and holes 10 incylinder 9 is such that as each hole crosses picture in vertical path, one row of filaments will have become illuminated to a corresponding degree as is the illumination of that strip of picture transversed by holes 10. To produce this result it is obviously essential that motors 14 and 50 operate in synchronism with each other. Therefore, I provide speed counters 33 and 63, so that check may be made'on the synchronism. As it is possible that both motors could be running at synchronous speed and yet one be lagging behind the other in relation to time and place, I

have provided convenient hand-grip 52 to facilitate manual correction of said lagging by revolving field coil assembly or stator as sembly of motor Within its frame 51.

Figure 5 shows how I' can eliminate radio transmitting and receiving sets and connect lead wires from photo-electric cell 23 direct to lead wires 56 and 60, thereby causing images of motion pictures or moving objects to be transmitted over wires instead of by means of radio. I

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. The combination with a radio transmitting device and a light responsive device for 're aying impulses to said radio transmitting device, of a motion picture film actuating device comprising a suitable sprocket for imparting an intermittent movement to a motion picture film, a light source for illuminating successive pictures on said film, and a suitable revolvingshutter located at a point between said film and said light source, permitting said light source to illuminate each successive picture on said film only during intervals at which said film is at rest, varying transparency of said film to determine degrees of reaction between said light source and said light responsive device.

2. The combination with a radio transmitting device and a motion picture film actuating device, of suitable mechanism for exploring motion pictures on said film in component parts of definite areas, in-reciprocating order and in rapidly repeating succession, and driving means therefor; comprising an electric motor loosely attached to and revolving a suitable perforated cylinder and suitable devices for reciprocating said cylinder, comprising suitable speed reducing gears driving a comparatively slow speed disc loosely attached to and sliding said cylinder in reciprocating manner, while said cylinder revolves with shaft of said motor.

3. The combination with a radio receiving device, of means for causing impulses from said radio receiving device to simultaneously reproduce images of motion pictures at a remote place upon a suitable screen with suitablemechanism for exploring said screen; comprising a plurality of light filaments embedded in and passing thru rear Wall of said screen, and means for efiecting luminosity of'said filaments, comprising a plurality of Wires individually connecting said filaments to a contact drum electrically constructed so that it will close an electric circuit with each of said filaments successively and in corresponding order to Which perforated cylinder at transmitting point explores component parts of motion pictures, said contact drum being driven by an electric motor having accessible control permitting manual revolution of field portion of said motor parallel to its axis, to be operated in conjunction with aspeed indicator mounted on shaft of said motor thereby permitting correction of mal-adustments that might occur between said motor and corresponding motor at transmitting point.

Signed at New Orleans, in the Parish of Orleans and State of Louisiana, this 14th day of October, 1927.

WM. MALM. 

